Samantha Bee explains what's at stake in this week's Pentagon rape reform bill vote

Sam Bee argues for reforms to military rape procedures

(Image credit: Full Frontal)

published 7 June 2016

Later this week, the Senate will vote on the National Defense Authorization Act. "That's when America takes all the money and gives it to the military," Samantha Bee said on Monday's Full Frontal, "so they can spend it defending our freedoms, building planes that don't work, and apparently... raping each other?" Rape is a big problem in the military, not only because it happens but because the code of military justice puts a unit's commander in charge of deciding whether an alleged rapist is prosecuted, a situation rife with conflicts of interest.

"So commanders can't indict a rapist without indicting themselves," Bee said. "Gee, Pentagon, if you want to put your troops in an unwinnable situation, just send them back to Iraq." For three years, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has tried to push through her Military Justice Improvement Act, which would put rape prosecution in the hands of military lawyers, not unit commanders, and the Senate has another crack at the bill this week. "But despite bipartisan support from a majority of senators, including both party leaders, the bill keeps falling short of a filibuster-proof 60 votes," Bee said, "possibly because the Pentagon has been feeding Congress a K-ration of bullshit."

Here's where Full Frontal gets loopy, because it turns out Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) strongly supports the bill, and (at least according to Gillibrand) President Obama is standing in the way. So Bee had some hard-to-swallow advice for Obama: "Why don't you pick up the phone, call those nine Democrats who voted 'nay' last time and tell them Ted Cruz is right." Watch below — but be warned, there is decidedly NSFW language. Peter Weber

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.